‘Canes Find a Way

By BJ BennettSouthernPigskin.com

In pulling off their biggest comeback ever against FSU, Mark Richt's Hurricanes may have found out a little bit more about themselves.

Miami entered Saturday's home rivalry game with Florida State as a consensus heavy favorite. Late in the third quarter, however, the Hurricanes found themselves trailing 27-7, their mid-season momentum suddenly slipping away. Down multiple scores, Miami needed a spark. When the margin may have seemed out of reach, the Hurricanes found their swagger -- and may have saved their season.

In a hard-fought, emotional game, redshirt freshman quarterback N'Kosi Perry was the catalyst for the 20-point comeback. He threw four total touchdown passes, two in a span of 42 seconds after a sack-strip by Sheldrick Redwine and a Michael Pinckney interception in the third period, and found Brevin Jordan for 41 yards on what-proved-to-be the game-winning score early in the fourth. Through ups and downs in his series debut, Perry remained poised. His clutch final 20 minutes proved to be the difference.

The finish, for Miami, winning without its best effort, comes with a different kind of validation. Good teams find a way and, in the most hotly-contested game on the schedule, the Hurricanes did just that. When the Hurricanes desperately needed it to make an appearance, the "Turnover Chain" was front and center. When it came to crunch time, Miami was the more physical team. When a star was needed, Perry stood tall.

In rallying, the Hurricanes held Florida State to just 45 total yards in the second half, merely 200 yards overall. As the game ultimately settled, Miami flexed its muscle at the point of attack. Critical points of emphasis like controlling the line of scrimmage, turnovers and play down the stretch were all won by the home team. Correspondingly, the game was too.

In pulling off their biggest comeback ever against the Seminoles, Mark Richt's Hurricanes may have found out a little bit more about themselves. Looking ahead, the second-half schedule is very manageable. After almost suffering a very disappointing setback, Miami, over the next few weeks, is poised for a rise in the national polls. The Hurricanes have to be considered the clear favorite to represent the coastal division in the ACC Championship Game.

What a comeback and what a finish, with Miami running the clock out just outside the Florida State goaline. After winning on a last-second touchdown pass in Tallahassee last season, the Hurricanes just made another memory in one of college football's best rivalries. Miami just made a different type of progress, too.